§ 22. Mr. Crowderasked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many officers of the Royal Navy who have served on the staff of or been students at the Imperial Defence College have now left the Active List or are unemployed?
Mr. CooperBoth the Naval officers who have served as commandants of the Imperial Defence College have now retired. Of the six other Naval officers who have served on the staff of the college, three are not at present in appointments but none has retired. Of the 54 Naval officers who have completed the course as students since its inception six have retired but of these two are employed in a retired capacity. Of those still on the active list five are at the moment unemployed. Of the three officers of the Royal Marines who have completed the course, one has since retired.
§ Mr. CrowderHow does the right hon. Gentleman account for the fact that there are so many more officers from the Army and the Air Force employed, as compared with those who come from the Navy, and does not this state of affairs rather indicate that perhaps the Navy are not paying so much attention to combined staff training as the Army and the Air Force? Will the right hon. Gentleman look into the question and see how many of those now unemployed can be re-employed?
Mr. CooperI have not compared the figures, but I hope it is not the case that the Admiralty are not paying sufficient attention to the importance of this combined staff training. I can assure my hon. Friend that consideration will be given to his point.
Mr. AlexanderThere is no question that attendance at the Imperial Defence College is not in any way a handicap to promotion?